Military declares state of alert

Sources have confirmed to Al Jazeera that the armed forces declared a "state of alert" after the speech by Minister of Defence General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in which he has demanded that the Egyptian people rally on Friday to give the army a mandate to confront terrorism and violence.

The source said the army would deploy in the coming hours additional troops in all streets and provinces and especially greater Cairo and the surrounding areas from where the demonstrators will emerge on Friday, to secure them against any violence.

The source pointed out that the army will also begin during the next hours to apply the iron grip plan on Sinai to biesiege "armed elements and terrorists" out there as well as the declaration of a state of extreme emergency on all the borders to prevent the entry of weapons.

The source pointed out that the military forces will further secure vital installations in all the provinces, such as banks and buildings and other provinces as well as tight insurance on all military installations.

The source added that the armed forces will work on preventing any attempt to incite"violence or terrorism".